Ditchley 1^st December 1785


I am afraid My Pretty Dear Girl will again think
me long in answering her letter, but you are so reasonable
& so good that I don’t know which to look upon with most,
thankfulness, your kindness to me or the good sence you are
endowed with. I am very glad to hear your opinion
of your brothers I really thought them much improved by
their journey to England & have received a very pretty
letter from them on their return to Juilly, giving an account
of their journey & very cheerful & good humoured notwithstanding
which Pere Arnout has added a foolish complaining postscript
about them. He is rather too much of an old woman & an
old French woman full of prejudices, but this is entre nous.
I wrote you word that my brother Arthur & his lady were
with me at Cossey. They stayed till the 20^th then we all set
out together for Ditchley. in one Coach was Mama, Mde Dillon,
Arthur, Papa & Uncle Harry. In the second Molly, Mde Dillon’s maid
& some of the men with {?Mandhorses}. we reached Cambridge the
first night & the morning after visited the colleges. Saw M^r

Poole from Norwich go up in a balloon & after dinner
proceeded on our journey to Eton in Bedfordshire where
we lay that night. The day after we passed Lord
Osary’s Park {^^{Ampthill Park}} between Bedford & Wooburn which is a very
Charming place & stopped at Wooburn Abbey 6 miles from
the Duke of Bedford’s magnificent seat. It is an immense
House too large to be comfortable that night Tuesday
we lay at Buckingham & the morning after visited Stow
a famous place belonging to the Marquis of Buckingham
(Late Earl Temple) it is an uncommon beautiful place, very
much ornamented with Grottos & temples with a very fine
mansion in the middle. We afterwards passed in Oxfordshire
by Lord Jersey’s Middleton Park not a fine but a comfortable
house. & finally reached Ditchley that evening where
we found my brother & Mr Le Texier. We have since our
stay here seen Blenheim the Duke of Marlborough’s Home,
Hatherop Lord Shrewsbury’s & yesterday spent the day among


the Colleges at Oxford. We leave the place on Saturday. Harry
goes to Worcester & I shall stay about ten days in London
where I must send for Neddy to see his Uncle. The children
here are delightful. You would doat upon them. The poor
little boy Harry is quite recover’d & return’d here for the
winter. (My brother had put him to school where he fell ill)
He is a most pleasing child & very handsome. The little girl
Fanny is beautiful. She speaks
& reads French & English equally well
which I think is astonishing at her
age. She will only be 6 in February. She has had always
a French governess. I think I have told my dearest dear
Charlotte a great detail of my proceedings. I need not add
how every hour in the day. I miss my little Councillor &
Companion! But the time will come when I shall have her again.
Adieu little girl. George says Sister is a great deal
prettier than she used to be. I long to see you. Did I tell
you, that 5 pairs more were Coming to you by your uncle
Arthur. You shall have 5 more to that if you want them.

We dine here at 6 o’clock in the evening & go to bed
at 1 or two in the morning. We breakfast at eleven. Good
bye my pretty girl. Yours for ever & ever

[change of orientation]
France p^as p^d to London
Lettre de 1784
Madmoiselle
A Mademoiselle Jerningham aux Dames
Ursulines Rue St Jacques
a Paris

Ditchley 1^st December 1785


I am afraid My Pretty Dear Girl will again think
me long in answering her letter, but you are so reasonable
& so good that I don’t know which to look upon with most,
thankfulness, your kindness to me or the good sence you are
endowed with. I am very glad to hear your opinion
of your brothers I really thought them much improved by
their journey to England & have received a very pretty
letter from them on their return to Juilly, giving an account
of their journey & very cheerful & good humoured notwithstanding
which Pere Arnout has added a foolish complaining postscript
about them. He is rather too much of an old woman & an
old French woman full of prejudices, but this is entre nous.
I wrote you word that my brother Arthur & his lady were
with me at Cossey. They stayed till the 20^th then we all set
out together for Ditchley. in one Coach was Mama, Mde Dillon,
Arthur, Papa & Uncle Harry. In the second Molly, Mde Dillon’s maid
& some of the men with {?Mandhorses}. we reached Cambridge the
first night & the morning after visited the colleges. Saw M^r

Poole from Norwich go up in a balloon & after dinner
proceeded on our journey to Eton in Bedfordshire where
we lay that night. The day after we passed Lord
Osary’s Park {^^{Ampthill Park}} between Bedford & Wooburn which is a very
Charming place & stopped at Wooburn Abbey 6 miles from
the Duke of Bedford’s magnificent seat. It is an immense
House too large to be comfortable that night Tuesday
we lay at Buckingham & the morning after visited Stow
a famous place belonging to the Marquis of Buckingham
(Late Earl Temple) it is an uncommon beautiful place, very
much ornamented with Grottos & temples with a very fine
mansion in the middle. We afterwards passed in Oxfordshire
by Lord Jersey’s Middleton Park not a fine but a comfortable
house. & finally reached Ditchley that evening where
we found my brother & Mr Le Texier. We have since our
stay here seen Blenheim the Duke of Marlborough’s Home,
Hatherop Lord Shrewsbury’s & yesterday spent the day among


the Colleges at Oxford. We leave the place on Saturday. Harry
goes to Worcester & I shall stay about ten days in London
where I must send for Neddy to see his Uncle. The children
here are delightful. You would doat upon them. The poor
little boy Harry is quite recovered & returned here for the
winter. (My brother had put him to school where he fell ill)
He is a most pleasing child & very handsome. The little girl
Fanny is beautiful. She speaks
& reads French & English equally well
which I think is astonishing at her
age. She will only be 6 in February. She has had always
a French governess. I think I have told my dearest dear
Charlotte a great detail of my proceedings. I need not add
how every hour in the day. I miss my little Councillor &
Companion! But the time will come when I shall have her again.
Adieu little girl. George says Sister is a great deal
prettier than she used to be. I long to see you. Did I tell
you, that 5 pairs more were Coming to you by your uncle
Arthur. You shall have 5 more to that if you want them.

We dine here at 6 o’clock in the evening & go to bed
at 1 or two in the morning. We breakfast at eleven. Good
bye my pretty girl. Yours for ever & ever

[change of orientation]
France p^as p^d to London
Lettre de 1784
Madmoiselle
A Mademoiselle Jerningham aux Dames
Ursulines Rue St Jacques
a Paris